PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
SUCH A SAD WASTE
I awoke to the news last Sunday of an 18 year old man being bashed to death at a party over a dispute involving who was sitting on a chair. I was later horrified to see some footage on the news of the crowds on the street and the Police trying to break up groups and move them on while supporting others who were distraught. I was equally saddened when two men, one 17 and one 18, were charged with this crime.
Such a sad waste of three lives. One dead and two to probably spend considerable time in jail. Why are our children driven by this need to stand up and posture and challenge and lose the capacity to read the situation and turn away or leave it alone. Equally why do some see violence as the only way resolve disputes with others.
My thoughts turn to the family of these three young people who now bear a burden of incredible pain and loss.
I pray that the lessons we try to teach the students at John Therry of compassion and empathy and care and family are well understood and learnt.
ASCENSION and PENTECOST
As we move on with our busy lives, Easter starts to seem like a distant memory. But we are moving through the Easter Season, which started with the celebration of Palm Sunday that led to the trial, persecution and death of Jesus. All this finished three days later with his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. On Thursday May 30th, 40 days after Easter we celebrated the Ascension of our Lord – where Jesus ascended to his Father in heaven; where, as the scriptures say, he is seated at the right hand. Following this on Sunday 9 June, we celebrate Pentecost.
Pentecost falls fifty days after Easter Sunday and is the ending of the Easter Season. Pentecost is the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Disciples and challenged them to take up the responsibility to spread the word of Christ’s work and message. They were enabled and made alive by the Spirit to do what they could not have done by themselves.
We cannot live as God would want us to live just by our own gifts and determination. We also need the life and power of the Spirit at times. There are three commonly used symbols to represent the Holy Spirit –
FIRE – is like the spirit. Spreading quickly, giving light and warmth, flickering and at times invisible, fusing together what would otherwise be separate.
DOVE – is like the Spirit, gentle, graceful and free to go wherever it wishes.
WIND - is like the Spirit, necessary for us to live, strong and invisible, powerful to drive windmills and boats and enabling us to do what we otherwise could not.
To fully receive the Spirit we need to be open to its presence and power. We need to understand the transforming nature that it possesses. I hope that as many families as possible attend local Masses for these special days and perhaps encounter the Spirit yourself.
